COMM 5520 Applied Communication Research
3 U; 3 Sem.
Introduction to applied media research, research criticism, data interpretation and fundamentals of audience analysis. Topics include: surveys, content analysis, experimental test of programmes, field research and formative evaluation. (Not for Ph.D. and M.Phil. students.)
COMM 5611 Chinese News Writing and Reporting
3 U; 3 Sem.
This is an introductory course in chinese news writing and reporting for the M.A. in Journalism students. Basic techniques of news reporting will be covered including: dealing with news sources, interviewing, library search and the use of electronic resources. The course also help students develop various writing skills and familiarize them with different news formats.
COMM 5612 English News Writing and Reporting
3 U; 3 Sem.
This is an introductory course in chinese news writing and reporting for the M.A. in Journalism students. Basic techniques of news reporting will be covered including: dealing with news sources, interviewing, library search and the use of electronic resources. The course also help students develop various writing skills and familiarize them with different news formats.
COMM 5620 Media Ethnics and Law
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course attempts to examine two essential confines of mass media communication, namely, the legal limits and ethical constraints. It covers major media laws and ethical issues that are related to the operation and practices of media organizations and practitioners.
COMM 5650 Journalism Theory and Analysis
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course introduces various theories in journalism and discusses important issues in the field. The scope of the course covers many aspects including the journalists their work organizations, their daily work routines, relationships between the press and other social institutions, news media and social environment, news culture, etc. Different conceptual approaches are used and various levels of analysis are also included.
COMM 6611 Advanced Chinese News Writing and Reporting
3 U; 3 Sem.
This is an advanced course for M.A. in Journalism students who have taken COMM5611. This course focuses on major types of Chinese journalistic practice such as precision journalism, investigative reporting, feature writing, new journalism, editorial writing, etc. Students will have opportunities to practice reporting and writing in these different news formats.
COMM 6612 Advanced English News Writing and Reporting
3 U; 3 Sem.
This is an advanced course for M.A. in Journalism students who have taken COMM5612. This course focuses on major types of English journalistic practice such as precision journalism, investigative reporting, feature writing, new journalism, editorial writing, etc. Students will have opportunities to practice reporting and writing in these different news formats. Pre-requisite: COMM5612.
COMM 4610 Business and Financial Reporting
3 U
Theories and techniques of reporting, writing and editing for business and financial news. Study of their specific content, staff, design and production methods, including the roles of business and financial publications in community development, and the interaction between them.
COMM 5635 Financial Reporting and Writing
3 U; 3 Sem.
Students will be able to understand basic financial knowledge. Students will learn to discover issues and report and write various kind of financial news, including finance, real estates, commercial and government financial policy writing, etc. The course will cover hot issues and topics in financial news, and students are expected to actively participate in discussion and reporting and writing.
COMM 5690 Feature Writing
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course seeks to instill students with the necessary skills to generate ideas for feature articles, compile information that is essential for the composition of these pieces, so as to be able to compose a wide variety of different features. Moreover, the course also aims at helping students to understand the ecology of the mass media from the views of a contributing journalist, both in terms of how to locate an outlet for their work, but also in how their work might (and would) become not only a tool with which readers understand the world, and whether their work would contribute to the "reproduction" of a hegemonic, "common-sensical" perspective of the state of the world.
COMM 6621 Public Affairs Reporting
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course is designed specifically for the students in the M.A. in Journalism programme and covers several specialized aspects of news reporting including political reporting, economic and finance reporting, and social/city news reporting. Principles in each of the above areas are analysed. Current issues and trends in Hong Kong will be discussed. (For M.A. in Journalism students only.)
COMM 4730 Documentary
3 U
This course explores the many varieties of documentary forms, from TV news and magazine features (both hard and soft) to stand-alone documentaries produced for television and film. Students groups will produce one short documentary during the semester.
COMM 5660 Photography for Journalists
3 U; 3 Sem.
In this course, students will learn news photography, photographic techniques for news reportage and the application of these techniques to foster visual communication. Photo elements, image editing and various visual approaches to news reportage will be examined.
COMM 5670 Broadcast Journalism
3 U; 3 Sem.
Theories and techniques of reporting, writing, editing, presenting and production of radio and television news will be introduced in this course. Students will acquire the essential skills to produce news magazines and bulletins for the electronic media.
COMM 5680 Radio Studio Production
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course introduces students to the role of radio broadcasting in the multimedia environment. Theories and practices of studio production of radio programmes including information, entertainment, documentaries and other programmes in new formats will be examined.
COMM 5640 Online and Mobile Journalism
3 U; 3 Sem.
The course examines the influence of online technologies on journalism from editorial, technological, economic, and social perspectives. The emphasis is on the advanced technologies involved in online news publishing and management skills in editorial, financial and technical fields required of online journalists.
COMM 5647 Citizen Journalism
3 U; 3 Sem.
Citizen journalism has become increasingly prominent in contemporary media. This course surveys its development and provides an in-depth examination of popular online news websites and/or significant media events triggered off by citizen journalism. Its theoretical and practical implications on the journalism profession will also be discussed.
COMM 5731 Human Rights and Social Media
3 U; 3 Sem.
This This course will provide an overview of the development of social media to represent human rights issues. Students will gain insights into how social media can be applied to initiate and take social actions, and how various human rights issues are represented in different forms – Words, images and videos - in popular social media.
COMM 5946 Fundamentals in Multimedia Design
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course introduces students to the principles and techniques of multimedia design. Students will be required to create their own multimedia projects from concept development to hands-on production by using design softwares. The quality and effectiveness of multimedia projects will be examined.
COMM 5980 New Media Ecology
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course introduces students to the role of content flow and value chain model in the information industry. It covers various topics such as content creation, selling, distribution, syndication, consumption, content economics, business models, related technology and copyright protection issues faced by different information industries in the new media ecology.
COMM 5430 Strategic Analysis of Media Industries
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course investigates the formulation and development of goals and strategies for media industries engaged in the production, distribution, promotion, and storage of information and entertainment. It also introduces concepts, techniques, and models related to strategic analysis and development. Economic forces that shape media industries are also examined.
COMM 5510 Media Management
3 U; 3 Sem.
This course aimed to acquaint students with general management principles, concepts, and theories, with particular emphasis on their applications in media organizations in a commercial, competitive, and rapidly changing environment. The focus is on training future media managers’ problem-solving and decision-making skills. The communications industries covered will include the print media, radio, broadcast, cable television, advertising and public relations. The students will learn through a combination of lectures, seminars, and case studies.
COMM 5811 Public Relations: Theories and Practices
3 U; 3 Sem.
It covers the theoretical aspects, the principles, historical and contemporary practices of public relations. While planning, implementation and evaluation of public relations programmes and campaigns are examined, various techniques involved will be discussed. (For M.S.Sc. students only.)
COMM 5130 Political Communication
3 U; 3 Sem.
Political communication refers to the intersection of politics and communication. Covering the major theoretical approaches to study of practices, processes, and social consequences of political communication, the course aims to enable the students to analyse effectively the interplay among media, politics and public opinion.
COMM 5649 Analyzing Public Affairs
3 U; 3 Sem.
Basic and background knowledge about a society’s political, economic, and social systems are essential for journalists working on public affairs. This class aims at equipping students with such basic and background knowledge and strengthening students’ capabilities in studying public affairs and policies. The class introduces students to fundamental concepts regarding the set up of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region – its government, its legal system, its economy, etc. It also discusses a few specific and “hot” policy issues.
COMM 5710 Seminar in Communication Theories
3 U; 3 Sem.
It is a seminar designed to teach the major communication stream, disciplines, theories and thoughts. The content includes development of communication disciplines, analysis of major communication theories, case studies and applications.
COMM 5725 Setting the Agenda through Social Media
3 U; 3 Sem.
The course will explain the basics of agenda setting and the global flow of information. It will also introduce some of the major agenda setters such as governments, organizations, and civil society.
COMM 6210 Communication Patterns in Chinese Society
3 U; 3 Sem.
History of Chinese communication developments, special features of Chinese communication structure, trends and issues of Chinese media, traditional and modern, will be analysed. Both behavioural and historical approaches will be utilized in such analysis. Emphasis is on contemporary China.
COMM 5110, 5111, 6120, 6121 Topical Studies in Communication I, II, III, IV
3 U each; 3 Sem.
Students concentrate their reading and study of one particular field in communication of their interests under the supervision of an instructor.
COMM 5631, 5632 Topical Studies in Journalism I, II
3 U each; 3 Sem.
The instructor will lecture and direct the study of a topic in Journalism he or she specializes in.
Students are allowed to take the above Topic Studies courses for more than once, and gain the units each time they pass the course. However, students cannot take courses with the same course code more than once in a single term.
COMM 6680 Independent Study
3 U; 3 Sem.
Students concentrate their reading and study of one particular topic in Journalism of their interests under the supervision of a faculty member. Students are required to submit a paper at the end of the course. (For M.A. in Journalism students only)
